Seeking The Truth. Terri Reed

      Breathing out a tired sigh, she headed to the elevator only to find a handwritten note saying, Out of Order.

      Great. Just what she needed. She veered away, resigned to taking the stairs to the fourth floor. She trudged up each step at a slower pace than she normally would. Her legs were tired and sore and bruised. So was her ego. All her hopes for a career boost with her investigative report into Jordan Jameson’s murder had slipped out of her control.

      When she told Carter about the article on his brother’s murder, his expression had made her lungs constrict and even now she was struggling to catch her breath. He’d been hurt, shocked and angry. He couldn’t even look at her when they were in Noah’s office.

      She was glad she hadn’t given in to the temptation to tell him her own family drama but thankfully, she’d managed to keep it inside. He wouldn’t think her issues were anything compared to the losses he’d suffered. And he was right. Her heart ached for the Jamesons.

      Two flights up, she turned the corner in the stairwell and found the way blocked by a man wearing a gray T-shirt. Shock constricted the muscles in her throat. Rough hands grabbed her and spun her around so fast she didn’t have time to look at his face. A muscled arm slid around her neck and squeezed while her attacker’s other hand pressed a smelly cloth over her nose and mouth.

      She breathed in, preparing to scream, and gagged. Her eyes watered. Her surroundings grew dim while her oxygen supply depleted, leaving her head woozy.

      Her mind screamed, Dear Lord, help me.